Wifey began experiencing acute pain in her left jaw joint (TMJ) about 9 months ago when her jaw popped itself out of place. It didn't heal itself, and has progressively gotten worse over the past 9 months. Our dentist recommended a chiropractor initially and that helped her somewhat, but her problem eventually progressed.
Because it is not something outwardly noticeable, dear wifey let it get worse then I was aware of. It represents a near constant pain for her. She's a tough one though, and held off with the hopes that it would get better over time. She didn't express the immediacy of the issue with me, so I wasn't able to help her with that decision. Well, it didn't get better over time. So yesterday we went to see a dentist that came widely recommended that specializes in TMJ and Orofacial Disorders.
It was pretty clear that this guy knew his craft. He's honestly very good at it. He is also an out of network provider and is not covered by medical or dental insurance and so his rates reflect that type of scenario. He's not free, that's for sure.
First step is to make the appointment. It's $295 for a 2 hour consultation. Cringe worthy for sure.
During the appointment, it's pretty clear that dear wifey needs a dental appliance (mouth guard). These are not cheap. They run from $450-$3150. Hers was "middle of the line" at $1850.
Of course, to get a clear idea of the state of her jaw, a CT scan is advised, to the tune of $450.
Total damage for the 2.5 hour visit? $2,595.
Every patient is responsible for paying for services rendered at the end of the visit. Insurance is billed afterwards and clients are reimbursed. THUS, every patient essentially pays cash (be it credit, debit, etc). Ergo, no cash discount (You better believe I tried).
Near the end of our visit, the office manager wanted to "be sure to let us know" that they can arrange for easy, 12 month, 0% financing for us. My response? No, that won't be necessary, we'll be paying for that today. The look on her face said it all. She didn't expect that. I'm 28 and wifey is 26. I was wearing my dirty work jeans, a work shirt, and a stained red down vest that I bought one day for $5 from a thrift store when I was cold on my motorcycle. Wifey looked fantastic as always.
It felt fantastic to swipe the Southwest Rewards credit card, know that I was getting some points, and knowing that at the end of the month, the credit card would be paid automatically from a checking account that has plenty of money in it.
Am I happy to have paid $2600 for this event? No. Am I happy I can do so, freely without stress? You bet your ass I am.
Now, time to go back to work to save more bad ass money.
Photos of the event.
Open, wider, wider, wider.
Hold it for a minute and a half.
Glamour shot!